KOCHI: Living with swallowing disorders can be distressing and unpleasant, drastically affecting one’s quality of life. Achalasia is one such debilitating condition that impairs swallowing, where the damaged nerves in the oesophagus cause its muscles to paralyse, making passage of food and liquid to the stomach difficult.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Achalasia. However, the procedure, Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) stands out compared to other treatment methods. POEM is a minimally invasive endoscopic surgery that provides relief to Achalasia patients.
Here, an endoscope is inserted through the patient’s mouth into the oesophagus. A careful incision is made in the lining of the oesophagus while cutting the underlying muscle to allow for the painless passage of solids and liquids through the food pipe. This procedure, usually performed under general anaesthesia, lasts one to two hours, and patients are typically discharged within four to five days.
Also, most patients can resume eating regular food as early as the third day after the surgery.
POEM has several advantages setting it apart. It eliminates the need for incisions in the chest or abdomen, resulting in no visible scars.
Furthermore, the procedure involves less post-operative pain and a shorter hospital stay. Even individuals of advanced age can benefit from this. And a successful procedure was performed on a 93-year-old patient at VPS Lakeshore.
This innovative technique has also shown promise in addressing Distal Oesophageal Spasm, another rare condition that causes the narrowing of the food pipe due to frequent spasms, making swallowing food and water an arduous task.
The author is the director of GI Endoscopy at VPS Lakeshore and is the first to introduce POEM in Kerala
Mind and Body
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